All five appeared Thursday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Burlington.

Chenault, Dixon and Murray are facing multiple counts of selling heroin and crack cocaine. Harris was charged with selling heroin and Chuderski faces a single count of selling crack cocaine.

Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Murray is also facing a charge of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years.

Since July — according to a search warrant filed with the court by the Vermont Drug Task Force — investigators used several informants to buy drugs from Chenault, Dixon and Murray at the Park Avenue apartment.

Investigators had the apartment under surveillance and used a wire to record the buys, according to the arrest warrant.

Court records show four of the five people — excluding Chuderski — have prior drug convictions in Vermont, New York and Florida.

In 2011, Chenault received a 24-to-30-month sentence after pleading guilty in Rutland criminal court to felony possession of heroin. He was released in January.

In April of 2012, Dixon was sentenced to 14 to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to felony heroin possession in Rutland criminal court. He received credit for the six months he was locked up before his guilty plea and was free by September of the same year.

In June, Murray was charged in Rutland criminal court with three felony counts of selling cocaine. He was released on conditions, and was arrested for violating those conditions Aug. 12. After he was released a second time, records state, he sold heroin to an informant.